INDIANAPOLIS – United States Attorney Josh J. Minkler announced today the sentencing of a former Bloomington Parks Department office manager for her role in an elaborate fraud and embezzlement scheme. Judith A. Seigle, 52, Gosport, Indiana, was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U. S. District Judge William T. Lawrence.

“The citizens of Bloomington deserve better from their paid city employees,” said Minkler. “Public officials need to serve the public, not themselves. The projects and programs of the Park’s Department exist to benefit the citizens of Bloomington, not Ms. Seigle.”

As office manager, Seigle was responsible for maintaining the books for the Parks Department and the Bloomington Community Parks and Recreation Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that receives donations and supports Bloomington’s parks and community programs. In particular, the Foundation provides scholarships for children to participate in park programs and summer camps.

For over 13 years, until she was caught in October 2014, Seigle diverted, embezzled, and misappropriated over $430,000 in Foundation and Parks Department funds for her personal use and benefit. Seigle used Foundation credit cards to make purchases for her personal use and she caused numerous fund transfers from Foundation and Parks Department bank accounts to her personal bank and credit card accounts. Seigle concealed her scheme by creating false bank statements and, for several years, providing them every month to the Foundation’s executive director and others, with whom she had worked for almost 20 years.

"This was a collaborative effort by all agencies involved to make sure that tax dollars are used the way they were intended and hold accountable those who seek to use them for their own benefit,” said Andrew Shank, State Board of Accounts Director of Special Investigations.

According to Assistant United States Attorney Nick Linder and Senior Litigation Counsel Steve DeBrota, who prosecuted this case for the United States, Seigle must serve three years of supervised release after her sentence and make restitution of over $430,000.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Bloomington Police Department, the Indiana State Board of Accounts and with assistance from the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office.